Since we have been installing complex lighting rigs and asked to produce the lighting for the show in increasing tighter schedules, we have had the need to use multiple consoles in order to use multiple programmers to speed up the programming process. The 500 series and EOS allows for partitioning of channels, GrandMA allows for different "worlds" to be setup for this process. I would like to propose another way to achieve similar results.

The original path for this was to have two completely different rigs in the air. Data was run from the dimmers to the conventional desk and separate data was run from the MLs to the ML console. Partitioning allows all fixtures and dimmers to be on the same data string. What I propose will allow both rigs to be distributed separately but both consoles networked together so that the consoles can communicate. With the partitioning method, every fixture has a unique channel/fixture number. This doesn't change. Console 1 (the conventional desk) has a patch route that is setup to communicate to the conventional fixtures. This may be dimmers only. This may include scrollers. Console 2 (the ML desk) has a patch route that is setup to communicate with the automated luminaires. Each desk programs their show separately. So everyone has a Main Cue List. When you are at a point that you want one console to start running the entire rig, go into the properties of the conventional desks' main cue list and set the Cue List Synchronization option to Network Master. (see photo) Then to the ML desk and set it's synchronization option to Slave to Network Master.

There are a few benefits to this process.

#1. There is no MIDI needed so all of the consoles can do this in 10.4.x software or above.
#2. With cue list synchronization, unlike with MIDI, there are no dummy cues needed. If you're first ML cue is cue 12 then there is no need to write a cue 1 thru 11 on the slaved console.
#3. When programming is complete, you can import the ML desks' cue list to the conventional desk as a separate cue list and then synchronize cue lists in the same showfile eliminating the need for the second console for the run of the production.
#4. When programming is complete, you can import the ML desks' cue list to the primary cue list of the conventional desk, essentially merging the two cue lists onto the same cue list for a single cue list showfile. When you do this, you will get the timing information from the cue list that is being imported. So you'll get the timing info from the ML show. If you have different timing on your cues, then you may want to keep the cue lists separate. If you both have part cues, then both shows part cues will merge. But again, if both showfiles have a cue with the same parts, then the imported files times will take precedence.

It's a different way of thinking but we think that everyone will find this useful. Let me know your thoughts.

You need to set the cue list synchronization on both desks. The main desk will be the Master or Network Master if doing this over a network. Then the remote desk will be set as slave. The appropriate options will show up depending on consoles and cue lists available.

Sounds like a network issue or a cue list issue one of the two. Make sure you have an appropriate cue list on both desks and make sure that they can see each other over the network. Otherwise we can work on this on Monday.

You could also try the latest beta and see if there is any issue there too.